L + S

Chapter 4

        It's been about three days since I started working directly under Sarah. In those three days, I don't think I've managed to look her in the eyes even once. Whenever I try to, her words echo in my mind: disgusting degenerate. I wouldn't be surprised if she started calling me DD for short. Not that she's called me anything. Since that day she hasn't addressed me by name even once. It feels like I'm more of an automated assistant than anything else. 

        Now add on that I've had to keep up with my own work as well. It's been a constant back and forth over the past several days, starting work at my computer only to get a message in the office chat that I need to go somewhere in the building to get something or find someone to get something. 

        The worst part of it all, though, is that none of this has changed my feelings towards Sarah. 

        Like I said, my demeanor around her has changed significantly, and while she terrifies me somewhat now, I still can't help but feel my heart race a little when it's just the two of us in her office. Disgusting degenerate 101.

---

        "Go to the supply closet and get me a pack of every different sticky note we have."

        I didn't reply. I just left. There was no point in replying; she would only answer with a reiteration of what she had said or answer a question I had about the task. Sarah had no interest in small pleasantries with me. 

        "Of course the f*****g closet is locked." I grumbled as I jiggled the door handle. "Why wouldn't it be."

        I didn't know who would have the key, I turned to head back to Sarah's office, only to hear the closet door open behind me. 

        "Oh! Hey there, Liz!"

        f*****g. Jeff.

        He tucked his shirt into his pants as he greeted me and positioned himself in front of me in a clear effort to block my view of the closet.

        "Jeff. April."

        Jeff's face flushed as I heard someone scurry the opposite way down the hallway. The two of them thought they were clever and sneaky, making excuses to work on "projects" with one another. Everyone knew the truth. The truth that they were both married. The truth that Jeff and April didn't know what a goddamn hotel room was.

        "I just need to get some sticky notes for Sarah." I said as I tried to slide past Jeff. He blocked me with his arm.

        "Yea, that's great. So anyways, can we keep this whole thing, ya know…" 

        He trailed off, clearly uncomfortable with his own request.

        "Jeff, I don't care what you and April do. I really don't. I'm just not in the mood today."

        "Oh, yea, that's cool. Sarah putting you through it huh?"

        I paused. Putting me through what? My hesitation was all Jeff needed.

        "You didn't know? Sarah always does this with assistants. She treats her helpers like she would a calculator or a folder. And don't think that's not what this "Mentor" initiative really is. Higher ups didn't want to pay to hire assistants for us, so they made you all do it."

        The smug grin on his face made me sick. Unable to bear his presence anymore, I pushed past his arm to the closet. I grabbed as many colors of notes as I could see as fast as I could and left, moving past Jeff again, who was chuckling at me. 

        "Here are the sticky notes Sarah." I said as I stacked the pile of pads as neatly as I could on the corner of her desk. 

        Sarah nodded, not taking her eyes away from her monitor, her hands clacking away on her fancy keyboard. 

        "Was that all?"

        She turned to me briefly before looking back at the monitor.

        "You didn't get the pink ones."

        "Sorry." I mumbled.

        I turned to head back to look for the notes.

        "Wait. Don't worry about it. Grab your things. We're going to lunch."

        Lunch? I blinked my eyes in shock. Of all the things I thought she was going to say, having lunch together was the last on the list.

        "Okay, um, where are we-"

        "Breakfast place around the block. Don't worry about money, I'm paying."

        I nodded in compliance and hurried to my desk. I grabbed my coat and purse and made my way as quickly as I could to the elevators where Sarah stood waiting. 

---

        The walk to the restaurant was silent between us, with me walking a step behind Sarah. It made me feel a little awkward, but it also gave me a moment to marvel at how Sarah made her presence known even outside the office. The sidewalks were bustling with people hurrying to get to their destinations and out of the cold winter air, but no one dared bump into Sarah. She walked through the sea of people, who parted like before her as if she was a figure from the Bible. Her auburn hair bounced gently with each step she took, and with the black skirted winter coat she had on, she looked like a model walking down a runway. 

        "Don't walk behind people unless you want them to think you're their lesser."

        Her advice cut through the noise of the people around us, breaking the silence of our walk. I took a couple of quick steps to walk beside her like she wanted, but it felt wrong, maybe because I was her lesser as her employee, or maybe just because she held herself so everyone around her felt like her lesser.

        "So what did Jeff have to say to you?"

        I turned to her, confused. There hadn't been time for her to have seen Jeff before we left, so how had she known he and I had talked at all?

        "Why would I have talked to Jeff?"

        "Because he was in the closet with that nobody, April, when I sent you to get me the sticky notes."

        I froze in my tracks. What kind of mastermind, overseer bullshit was this? 

        "Don't just stand there, the cold is bad for your skin. You can tell me when we get there. It's just up ahead."

        I closed the gap between us, making my way back to Sarah's side and stared at her. I could see the restaurant she was talking about just ahead. Hopefully I would get some answers there.